Calendar timepiece



\ J. sPARKEs CALENDAR TIMEPIECE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 24, 1945 JiivqanZF- L Jamey M'SbOJ MMmMM Dec. 2, 1947. J. M. SPARKES CALENDAR TIMEPIECE Filed Nov. 24,- 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Dec. 2, i947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CALENDAR TIMEPIECE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to horological instruments and the object thereof is to provide a universal timepiece which may be defined as an horological instrument having means for showing the hour of the day or fractions thereof, the current day of the week, the corresponding day of the month, and the day of the year for a series of years.

One of the objects of th invention is to provide a calendar timepiece of the character described comprising a clock and calendar mechanism for displaying the day of the week, month and the current year all actuated by the power applied by the main spring of the clock.

More particularly the invention comprises a universal timepiece having a suitably apertured casing containing a clock having means operated thereby for actuating a shaft upon which the minute and hour hands of the clock are respectively mounted and containing calendar mechanism having a sheet of flexible material bearing successive indicia showing the days of the week, the corresponding days of the month, and preferably also the number of the current year, and means operated and controlled by the continuous rotation of one of the shafts, preferably the shaft of the minute hand, intermittently and progressively to position the respective indicia properly in registry with corresponding apertures in the casing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a universal time piece having a clock and calendar mechanism in which the power applied by the main spring of the clock required to actuate the calendar mechanism is so distributed over a period of each twenty-four hours as to be well within the capacity of the clock spring.

Another object of the invention is to provide a universal timepiece of the character above described with a calendar having a sheet bearing said indicia wound upon a roll with cooperating drums and guide rolls for directing the principal face of the sheet in proximity to a complementary aperture in the casing in which each drum is connected by a spring preferably Wound upon an axial shaft and having means operable by the clock mechanism for continuously rotating the drum shafts in unison and having escapement mechanism for preventing the rotation of the drums, with means operable by the clock mechanism for releasing the escapement mechanism at each day to permit rotation of the drums under the action of their respective springs progressively to position successive indicia of the week and month in registry with the openings in the casing therefor.

Another object of the invention is to provide the reverse face of the sheet with suitably spaced indicia of the year corresponding to the spacing of the day and month indicia and means for so 2 guiding the sheet as to cause the year indicia to register with its aperture in the casing.

A further object of the invention is to provide manually operable means for actuating the escapement mechanism of the calendar to enable proper advancing of the indicia-bearing sheet in the event of stoppage of the clock.

These and other objects and features of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a front face view of a clock casing having apertures therein containing the face of the clock and apertures through which the indicia of the day of the week, month and year are displayed;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the clock mechanism and a portion of the calendar-actuating mechanism, the casing having been removed;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the drums and guiding mechanism for the sheet and the escapement mechanism controlling the actions of the drums;

Fig. 4 is a View of a portion of the sheet hearing the indicia of the successive days of the week and corresponding days of the month;

Fig. 5 is a View of the reverse side of the sheet bearing at suitably spaced intervals the indicia of the current year;

Fig. 6 is a detail end elevation of the escapement mechanism for the lower drum;

Fig. 7 is a view of the means for manually actuating the escapement mechanism of the calendar;

Fig. 8 is a detail View of the manually operated means for actuating the escapement mechanism of the calendar;

Fig. 9 is a detail view of the lever or rocker oi the calendar escapement mechanism;

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the assembled clock mechanism, the drums for the sheet bearing indicia of the days of the week, month and year, and the mechanism for actuating the same from the clock mechanism, the springs connecting the respective drums to the axial shafts thereof being shown in broken lines;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary detailed View of the manually operated means for actuating the escapement rocker; and

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary detailed view of the spiral cam 18 and one end of the lever actuated thereby.

The calendar timepiece illustrated herein comprises a suitable casing I, preferably of rectangular form as illustrated in Fig. 1, containing the calendar and clock mechanism, and having an aperture through which the face 2 and hands of the clock extend, or may be observed. A preferably rectangular aperture 3 through which the indicia of the day of the week and corresponding day of the month may be observed and an aperture 4 preferably located above the aperture 3 through which the indicia of the current year may be displayed.

The clock mechanism may be and is of a usual character preferably in the form of an eight-day clock comprising side plates 5 and 6 connected by suitable spacing bars I to form the frame for the clock mechanism. Usual means (not shown) are provided for mounting the clock in the casing with the face thereof preferably extending through the aperture 2.

As illustrated the clock is of the pendulum type and comprises a main spring 8 and suitable gearing mechanism operated thereby for rotating the spindle 9 upon which the minute hand I 0 and hour hand II are mounted in the usual manner.

One of the principal objects of the invention, as above pointed out, is to provide calendar mechanism operated and controlled by the power applied by the main spring only intermittently and progressively to position successive indicia of the days of the week, corresponding days of the month, and preferably also the current year properly in registry with the respective apertures 3 and 4 of the clock casing. In the preferred construction illustrated the shaft 9 of the minute hand has secured to its end opposite that upon which the hands are mounted a pinion I2 which engages a large gear I3 which is rotatable by said pinion one revolution in each twenty-four hours.

The calendar mechanism comprises a sheet of paper or other suitable flexible material bearing upon its front face equally spaced indicia of the days of the week and the corresponding days of the month and preferably upon its rear face similarly spaced indicia of the current year. The indicia bearing sheet is led about suitable drums and guide rolls which are intermittently operated in the manner hereinafter described to advance said indicia successively at the end of each twenty-four hours. In a clock embodying the present invention the indicia bearing strip is of sufficient length properly to register the day of the week, the corresponding day of the month and the current year for a period of four years and may thereafter be rewound in such manner as repeatedly to continue such registration for successive periods of four years. The calender mechanism, which is illustrated in assembled position in Fig. 10 and diagrammatically in Fig. 3, comprises side frames I4 and I5 having inwardly flanged lower ends secured to the base I5 of the casing and connected at their upper ends by spacing bars IT. The indicia bearing sheet I8 is in the form of a roll I9 mounted upon a suitable shaft or drum 26 which is journaled in the side frames I4 and I5 and has an angular end 2| projecting beyond the frames adapted to receive a key for winding up the sheet. The indicia bearing sheet extends over a guide roll 22, thence downwardly over a flat backing plate 23 which is located in proximity to the aperture 3, thence over a drum 24, thence over a lower guide r011 25, thence vertically upwardly over a guide roll 26, thence forwardly over a guide roll 27, and again upwardly over a guide roll 28, the guide rolls 2'! and 28 being positioned upon vertically opposite sides of the aperture 4 through which the date of the current year may be observed.

The sheet I8 passes from the guide roll 28 and is wound upon a drum 29. It will be noted that the sheet is so directed by the guide rolls that the indicia on the front face of the sheet, as illustrated in Fig. 4, is exposed through the aperture 3 in the clock casing, and that the indicia of the year, which is upon the back face of the sheet, is exposed through the aperture 4 in the casing.

In order to insure accuracy of movement of the indicia bearing sheet it is provided adjacent its edges with equally spaced apertures 30 which are adapted to be engaged by complementary teeth 3I upon disks forming the ends of the drum 24.

The lower drum 24 is rotatably mounted upon a shaft 32 and a spring 33, which surrounds the shaft 32, is connected at one end to the shaft and at its opposite end to the hub 34 of the toothed disk 3| which closes one end of the drum. The shaft 32 is provided with an angular end 35 which projects beyond the side plate I4 and is adapted to be engaged by a key for the purpose of winding the spring to produce a desired tension upon it. The upper drum 29 is similarly mounted upon a rotatable shaft 36 and a spring Si is connected at one end to the shaft and at its opposite end to the hub 38 rigid with the drum. The shaft 36 likewise is provided outside of the side plate I4 with an angular end 39 adapted to be engaged by a key for winding the shaft to impose a desired tension upon the spring 31.

The shafts 32 and 36 are continuously rotated at equal speeds by the force of the clock spring alone as applied through the pinion I2 on the minute hand shaft and the large gear I3 which is operated thereby, and escapement mechanism, which is controlled by a. cam I8 on the shaft of the large gear I3, actuates mechanism at the end of each twenty-four hours which will cause the springs 33 and 3! upon the shafts 32 and 36 of the respective drums to rotate the drums in such manner as to advance the indicia of one day of the week and month to the next succeeding day.

The mechanism for continuously rotating the drum shafts 32 and 36 respectively comprises a beveled gear 40 upon the hub of the large gear I3 which engages a complementary beveled gear 4| upon a vertical shaft 42 which is journaled in suitable bearings in the frame and a beveled gear 43 upon the shaft 42 drives a complementary gear 44 upon a horizontal shaft 45 which is provided with a pinion 46 which engages a gear 4? which is rotatably mounted upon the shaft 32 of the lower drum 24. The gear 41 has secured to it a pawl 48, preferably a spring pressed pawl, which engages the teeth of a ratchet 49; the hub of which is connected by a cotter pin 50 to the shaft 32.

The shaft 45 has fixedly mounted upon it a beveled gear 5I which engages a complementary beveled gear 52 on a vertical shaft 53 mounted in suitable bearings in the frame, not shown, and which is provided at its upper end with a beveled gear 54 which meshes with a gear 55 upon a shaft 56 which is provided with a pinion 5? which meshes with a gear 58 rotatably mounted upon the shaft 36. The gear 58 has secured to it a pawl 59, also preferably a spring pressed pawl, which engages a ratchet 60 the hub of which is connected by a cotter pin BI to the upper drum shaft 33. All of the beveled gears are of equal size and pitch. As a consequence the drum shafts 32 and 36 are continuously rotated in unison by the power applied by the main spring alone through the gearing above described, and inasmuch as the gear 13 is rotated only once in twenty-four hours by the pinion I2 on the minute hand shaft, the power consumed in actuating the clockwork mechanism is well within the capacity of the main spring 8; notwithstanding such consumption of power as is required to wind up the springs 33 and 31 which are connected respectively to the shafts 32 and 36 of the drums 24 and 29.

Suitable escapement mechanism is provided for retaining the drum 24 against rotation during the winding up of its spring 33; and mechanism operated once in twenty-four hours by the rotation of the shaft of the hub Of the gear 40 is provided for releasing the escapement mechanism to permit the drum 24 to rotate in the same direction as the rotation of its shaft 32 and simultaneously to permit the drum 29 to rotate in the same direction as the rotation of its shaft 36. The mechanism for accomplishing this purpose comprises a cam disk 62 having a hub 63 which is welded to the cam disk 62 and the adjacent head of the drum 24 and is provided with a series of preferably ten teeth having similarly inclined cam faces 64 and radial faces 85 with escapement mechanism operated by the cam 18 upon the hub of the large gear !3 cooperating with said cam disk to release the drum 24 and permit rotation thereof by the spring 33.

The preferred form of esoapement mechanism comprises a lever or rocker 66, one arm 61 of which is provided with a downward extension or finger 68 adapted to engage the cam face 64 of one of the teeth of the cam disk 62. The lever or rocker 66 is provided with a recess 69 (Figs. 3, 6 and 9) to receive a locking pawl 10 having a shouldered eX- tension H adapted to engage the wall of the recess 69 in looking engagement and provided with a downwardly beveled face. The locking pawl 10 is normally held in looking position by a leaf spring 12. When in looking position, as illustrated in Fig. 3. the end of the finger 68 engages the cam face 64 of one of the teeth of the cam disk. The arm 61 of the lever 66 is provided with an upwardly extending finger 13 the upper end of which underlies an arm 14 which is pivotally mounted upon the end portion of a lever 15 which is pivotally mounted upon a shaft 16 carried by a bracket 11 which may be suitably mounted upon an extension of the frame of the calendar mechanism, not shown. The opposite end of the lever 15 engages the spiral cam 18 upon the hub of the large gear l3 of the clockwork mechanism and is held in such engagement by a spring 19 which is connected at one end to the shaft It of the bracket H and at its other end to the lever 15.

In the operation of the machine each rotation of the large gear it, which is driven from the pinion l2 on the minute hand shaft, causes the end of the lever 15 which engages the cam to ride up upon the cylindrical surface thereof until one revolution of the large gear I3 is completed, whereupon the end of the lever drops off under the influence 0f the spring from the crest of the cam to the lower end thereof and hence has a swinging movement. The arm M, which is pivotally mounted upon the end portion of the lever 15, is thereupon thrust against the inclined shoulder of the pawl H, thus throwing it out of engagement with the shoulder upon the arm 61 breaking the locking engagement of the finger 68 with the cam face 64 of the tooth engaged thereby. This permits the drum 24 and the cam disk 62 which is attached to it to rotate under the influence of its spring in the same direction as the rotation of the shaft 32 by the train of gearing above described. Such rotation of the cam disk 62 causes the cam surface 64 of the engaged tooth to raise the arm 14 on the lever 15 into a recess 83 in the pawl IE3, as illustrated in Fig. 6, until withdrawn therefrom by the action of the spiral cam 18 which engages the opposite end of the lever 15. The opposite arm 8| of the escapement lever or rocker 66 is provided with a downwardly extending finger 82 adapted when the arm 14 of the lever is raised upwardly as aforesaid to enter a space between adjacent teeth of the disk 62 and upon rotation of said disk 62 under the influence of the spring 33 to ride up upon the cam face 54 and restore the escapement lever or rocker 66 to locking position.

If it should occur, by the stoppage of the clock or otherwise, that the indicia bearing sheet of the calendar mechanism is not advanced properly manually operable means are provided for resetting the calendar mechanism. One means for accomplishing this purpose comprises a supplementary pawl-actuating finger 83 which is pivotally mounted upon a stud 34 in the end of a bar 85 which extends through the side frame l5 and is provided with a head 86 with a spring 3! interposed between the frame is and the head normally tending to withdraw the bar lengthwise. The manually operated pawl-actuating finger 83 is in such proximity to the pawl actuating arm 14 that by forcing the rod 85 inwardly the pawl 10 can be disengaged from looking relation to the arm 61 of the lever or rocker 63, thus enabling the spring 33 to rotate the drum 24 and advance the indicia bearing sheet as often as the setting device is actuated.

If the clock shall have been stopped for a long period the indicia bearing sheet may be otherwise advanced by removing the cotter pins 5i] and GI which connect the hubs of the ratchets 49 and so respectively to the shafts 32 and 36, then by applying a key to the angular end portion 33 of the shaft 36 and rotating the drums to advance the indicia bearing sheet until the proper dates are exposed through the apertures in the casing, the cotter pins reinserted, and the springs 33 and 31 wound respectively to the desired ten sion. When the cotter pins 50 and iii are thus removed the indicia-bearing sheet may be re- Wound on the roll 19 by the application of the key to the angular end 2! of the shaft 22.

In assembling the indicia bearing sheet in the calendar mechanism the sheet If) is drawn from a roll I!) thereof over the guide roll 22, thence downwardly over the backing plate 23, across the opening 3 in the casing to display the day of the week and of the month, thence downwardly around the lower drum 24 where it is engaged by the teeth upon the drum, thence rearwardly around the roll 25, upwardly over the roll 26, forwardly over the rolls 2'! and 28 past the opening 4 in the casing to display the current year therethrough from the rear surface of the sheet, and finally is wound upon the drum 29 and secured to it.

In the operation of the calendar timepiece above described therefore the power applied by the main spring 8 to the shaft 9 of the minute hand and the pinion l2 rotates the large gear l3 which through trains of gearing continuously rotate the shafts of the drums 24 and 23. These shafts are connected respectively to the drums by the springs 33 and 34 and the escapement mechanism above described prevents rotation of the drums during the period of twenty-four hours. In the meantime, the end of the lever rides upon the spiral cam 18 and at the end of the twenty-four hours is forced from the crest of the cam by the spring '19 which actuates the lever 15, thereby swinging the opposite end of the lever in a direction to cause the finger 14 thereof to release the escapement mechanism and permit the drum 24 to be rotated by its spring sufficiently to position the next date for observation through the aperture 3 in the casing, and at the same time to position the indicia of the year or observation through the aperture 4 in the casing. If by reason of the stoppage of the clock the dates thus exposed through the apertures in the casing are inaccurate the indicia bearing sheet can be advanced by manipulation of the setting rod 85 and its finger 33 to release the pawl 18 of the escapement mechanism repeatedly if necessary to advance the indicia sheet day by day, or alternatively the drum shafts can be released from the driving mechanism by removal of the cotter pins 58 and 6| and the drums then rotated until the proper indicia upon the sheet is displayed through the respective openings.

As before stated the indicia bearing sheet may be of sumcient length properly to display successively the day of the week, the day of the month, and the year for four successive years, and upon termination of such time rewound upon the roll for another like period, any inaccuracy of the dates being remediable by the resetting mechanism above described.

It will be understood that the particular embodiment of the invention shown and described herein is of an illustrative character and is not restrictive and that various modifications may be made within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A calendar time piece having a casing provided with suitable apertures, a clock in said casing having a main spring, shafts for the minute and hour hands, means operable by said main spring for rotating the respective shafts, calendar mechanism in said casing having cooperating parallel drums carrying a flexible sheet provided on its front face with equally spaced successive indicia of the days of the week and corresponding days of the month and upon its reverse face corresondingly spaced indicia of the current year, means for guiding said sheet to cause the indicia on its front face to register with the corresponding aperture in the casing and for causing the year indicia of the rear face of the sheet to register with an aperture therefor, and means operated and controlled by the rotation of the shaft of the minute hand intermittently and progresively to position successive indicia properly in registry with the coresponding aperture therefor.

2. A calendar time piece having a suitably apertured casing, a clock mounted in said casing having a main spring, and mechanism for actuating the shafts for the minute and hour hands of the clock, calendar mechanism mounted in said casing having a sheet of flexible material provided on its front face with equally spaced successive indicia of the days of the week and the corresponding days of the month, cooperatmg drums for guiding and Winding said sheet having means positively engaging the sheet, axial shafts for said drums, springs yieldably connecting said drums to their respective shafts, means for actuating said drums comprising a pinion on the shaft of the minute hand, a large gear engaging said pinion rotatable thereby one revolution in twenty-four hours, means operable by the rotation of said large gear for rotating said drum shafts continuously, an escapement mechanism for restraining said drums from rotation, and means operable by the rotation of the large gear upon completion of each rotation thereof to cause said escapement mechanism to release the respective drums and to permit such predetermined rotation thereof as to position the indicia for the next day in registry with the respective apertures in the casing therefor.

3. A calendar time piece having a suitably apertured casing, a clock mounted in said casing having a main spring, and mechanism for actuating the shafts for the minute and hour hands of the clock, calendar mechanism mounted in said casing having a sheet of flexible material provided on its front face with equally spaced successive indicia of the days of the week and the corresponding days of the month and on the other face suitably spaced indicia of the current year, cooperating drums for guiding and winding said sheet having means positively engaging the sheet, guiding rolls intermediate of said drums for presenting the year indicia on the reverse side of the sheet to an aperture in the casing therefor, axial shafts for said drums, springs yieldably connecting said drums to their respective shafts, means for actuating said drums comprising a pinion on the shaft of the minute hand, a large gear engaging said pinion rotatable thereby one revolution in twenty-four hours, means operable by the rotation of said large gear for rotating said drum shafts continuously, an escapement mechanism for restraining said drums from rotation, and means operable by the rotation of the large gear upon completion of each rotation thereof to cause said escapement mechanism to release the respective drums and to permit such predetermined rotation thereof as to position the indicia for the next day and the current year in registry with the respective apertures in the casing therefor.

4. A calendar time piece having a suitably apertured casing, a clock mounted in said casing having a main spring, and mechanism for actuating the shafts for the minute and hour hands of the clock, calendar mechanism mounted in said casing having a sheet of flexible material provided on its front face With equally spaced indicia of the days of the week and the corresponding days of the month, cooperating drums for guiding and winding said sheet having means positively engaging the sheet, axial shafts for said drums, springs yieldably connecting said drums to their respective shafts, manually operable means for rotating the respective drum shafts adiustably to tension said springs, means for actuating said drums comprising a pinion on the shaft of the minute hand, a large gear engaging said pinion rotatable thereby one revolution in twenty-four hours, means operable by the rotation of said large gear for rotating said drum shafts continuously, an escapement mechanism for restraining said drums from rotation, and means operable by the rotation of the large gear upon completion of each rotation thereof to cause said escapement mechanism to release the respective drums and to permit such predetermined rotation thereof as to position the indicia for the next day in registry with the respective apertures in the casing therefor.

5. A calendar time piece havin a suitably apertured casing, a clock mounted in said casing having a main sprin and mechanism for actuating the shafts for the minute and hour hands of the clock, calendar mechanism mounted in said casing having a sheet of flexible material provided on its front face with equally spaced successive indicia of the days of the week and the corresponding days of the month, cooperating drums for guiding and winding said sheet having means positively engaging the sheet, axial shafts for said drums, springs yieldably connecting said drums to their respective shafts, means for actuating said drums comprising a pinion on the shaft of the minute hand, a large gear engaging said pinion rotatable thereby one revolution in twenty-four hours, means operable by the rotation of said large gear for rotating said drum shafts continuously, an escapement mechanism for restraining said drums from rotation, and means operable by the rotation of the large gear upon completion of each rotation thereof to cause said escapement mechanism to release the respective drums and to permit such predetermined rotation thereof as to position the indicia for the next day in registry with the respective apertures in the casing therefor, and manually operable means for actuating said escapement mechanism to properly adjust the indicia of the sheet of the calendar with the current date in the event of stoppage of the clock and its calendar mechanism.

6. A calendar time piece having a suitably apertured casing, a clock mounted in said casing having a main spring, and mechanism for actuating the shaft for the minute and hour hands of the clock, calendar mechanism mounted in said casing having a sheet of flexible material provided with equally spaced successive indicia of the days of the week and the corresponding days of the month, cooperating drums for guiding and winding said sheet having means positively engaging the sheet, axial shafts for said drums each provided at one end With means adapted to be engaged by a key, springs yieldably connecting said drums to their respective shafts, means for actuating said drums comprising a pinion on the shaft of the minute hand, a large gear engaging said pinion rotatable thereby one revolution in twenty-four hours, a train of gearing operable by the rotation of said large gear including gears connected to the respective shafts of said drum by cotter pins adapted to rotate the respective drum shafts continuously, an escapement mechanism for restraining said drums from rotation, means operable by the rotation of the large gear upon completion of each revolution thereof to cause said escapement mechanism to release the respective drums and to permit such predetermined rotation thereof by said springs as to position the indicia for the next day in registry with the respective apertures of the casing therefor and in which resetting of the indicia bearing sheet may be accomplished by removal of said cotter pins and rotation of the axle shafts of the respective drums.

7. A calendar time piece having a suitably apertured casing, a clock mounted in said casing having a main spring, and mechanism for actuating the shafts for the minute and hour hands of the clock, calendar mechanism mounted in said casing comprising a roll of flexible sheet material provided with equally spaced successive indicia of the days of the Week and the corresponding days of the month, cooperating drums and rolls for guiding and winding said sheet having means positively engaging the sheet, axial shafts for said drums provided at their respective ends with means adapted to be engaged by a key, springs yieldably connecting said drums to their respective shafts, means for actuating said drums com- I prising a pinion on the shaft of the minute hand, a large gear engaging said pinion rotatable thereby one revolution in twenty-four hours, a train of gearing operable by the rotation of said large gear including gears connected to the respective drum shafts by cotter pins adapted continuously to rotate the respective drum shafts, an escapement mechanism for restraining said drums from rotation, means operable by the large gear upon completion of each rotation thereof to cause said escapement mechanism to release the respective drums and to permit such predetermined rotation thereof as to position the indicia for the next day in registry with the apertures in the casing, the rewinding of the sheet into the form of a roll being permitted by removal of the cotter pins which connect the shafts of the respective rolls to the gears thereon, and rotation of the shaft of the sheet roll being permitted by application of a key to the key-receiving end thereof.

JAMES M. SPARKES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,536,647 Andresen May 5, 1925 1,608,241 Ruff Nov. 23, 1926 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 5,333 Great Britain 1887 553,224 France May 15, 1923 

